It is practically March already but most of the country still engulfed with ice and snow. Our panel of experts is shipping you some fresh flavors of spring cigars straight from sunny Florida and the tropical islands of the Caribbean sea. The Hemingway Romeo Cigar sampler is based on early batch of latest tobaccos from the cigar lands of Arturo Fuente and The Garcia La Romana of Altadis U.S.A in Dominican Republic. With the world famous Short Story cigar and four more sticks of the best of Romeo y Julieta, the Hemingway Romeo Cigar sampler is, without a doubt, probably the best sampler at the greatest value we release this winter.

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story(4 x 42-49) The Arturo Fuente Hemingway Series cigars are among the most exclusive premium handmade cigars available today! The Hemingway series was originally introduced in the early 1980’s and features an oily, toothy African grown Cameroon or a more rare US Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper and a phenomenal blend of Dominican fillers and binder to delight the smoker with rich, medium bodied smoke and the aromas of cedar, citrus, spice and cream.

Romeo y Julieta 1875 Corona(5 1/2 x 44) This is the modern reincarnation of one of the most famous Cuban cigars. Originally established in 1875 by Inocencio Alvarez and Mannin Garcia, this is one of the original Cuban cigar lines. Jose “Pepin” Rodriguez Fernandez, who was the former head of the Cabañas factory in Havana, and his firm Rodríguez, Argüelles y Cia bought Romeo y Julieta in 1903. This classic cigar is always consistent and spicy to the core this slow burn treasure is crisp and creamy with hints of dark coffee and cream. Mike’s Cigars is proud to be one of the largest suppliers of Romeo y Julieta cigars, and we offer the lowest prices anywhere.

Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Corona(5 1/2 x 44) This cigar has a beautiful hand selected Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper and a Nicaraguan binder leaf. The filler is a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos. These ingredients work together to create a rich and aromatic smoke that will satisfy even the most demanding cigar connoisseur.

Romeo Y Julieta Reserve Maduro Corona(5 1/2 x 44) Darkly rich, the mystique of the Romeo y Julieta Reserve Maduro matches the dark romance in its tragic Shakespearean namesake. Exquisitely blended with a harmony of Dominican, Nicaraguan and Peruvian filler, with a Nicaraguan binder and an oily Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper, this medium to full-bodied smoke captures the essence and depth of the romantic tragedy, and holds a sensually aromatic taste.

Avo cigars is the brainchild of Avo Uvezian who is an acclaimed pianist who would make the cigars himself and then gave them to his friends. Avo went on to meet Henke Kelner to expand Avo’s cigar business and later on sold Avo cigars to Davidoff. Now, Avo cigars are new and improved thanks to Oettinger Davidoff AG revealing that they have revamped the branding of this prestigious cigar line. They come bursting out the gates with an updated tagline (from “Cigars in Perfect Harmony” to “Savor Every Note”) and protected price points making it much easier for customers and retailers to better understand the Avo cigar portfolio and bold, contemporary package design.

“I am delighted to share this new era of AVO Cigars with more and more aficionados around the globe. AVO cigars are ready to give the performance of a lifetime. It’s about the richness of the life you live, the friends you share it with, and the unforgettable experiences along the way. It’s about savoring every note.” says Avo Uvezian.

Since Avo cigars wants retailers and customers to better understand their portfolio, they have focused on four core lines, AVO Classic, AVO XO, AVO Domaine and AVO Heritage. AVO Classic happens to be the company’s most popular cigar to date. Fans of the Avo Signature and Avo Maduro lines will need to stock up on those cigars as much as they can because those lines will be discontinued. All current blends will remain the same. The packaging for the cigars now include a superb, modern wooden box design featuring the AVO logo on the lid of the box, complimented with music bars featuring musical notes from Avo Uvezian’s songs.

“The brand needed to be freshened up in terms of offerings, packaging and communication,” said Richard Krutick, director of marketing for Davidoff of Geneva. “The refresh is an evolution of the brand, not a revolution. It’s about staying true to Avo’s core, but also modernizing it for today’s consumer.”

Avo cigars will be celebrating Avo Uvezian’s 89th birthday in 2015.

“Avo Uvezian is a man of the world who savors every note to the fullest. He cherishes every moment in life with passion and shows insatiable thirst for connections with people from all walks of life. AVO Cigars enables rich and rewarding social sharing experiences: helping drive connections amongst aficionados and turning strangers into friends in a heartbeat.” says Charles Awad, Senior Vice President Global Marketing and Innovation.

The idea behind Avo cigar’s “Savor Every Note” tagline is that cigars involve more than just the taste and experience, it’s all about the lifestyle, enjoying life, and living by your own beat and sharing it with your friends.

The Romeo Vice Press Super Sampler brings to your table a rare opportunity to sample the top three BIG Romeo y Julieta cigars – Reserva Real Churchill, Romeo 1875 Churchill and the NEW and exceptional RYJ, together with a couple of cigars from the outstanding line of Alec Bradley – Vice Press cigars. The Alec Bradley Vice Press cigar combines BIG and BOLD with the elegance of a box pressed cigar. The medium bodied blend is made of a diverse combination, using tobacco from the finest growing regions of Central America.
Couple this Vice Press beauties with the quality and taste of the Romeo y Julietas and you get an outstanding sampler at an outrageous discount.

Romeo Y Julieta 1875 Churchill (7 x 50) Romeo y Julieta 1875 Churchill. Romeo y Julieta 1875 is the modern reincarnation of one of the most famous Cuban cigars. Originally established in 1875 by Inocencio Alvarez and Mannin Garcia, Romeo y Julieta 1875 is one of the original Cuban cigar lines. Jose “Pepin” Rodriguez Fernandez, who was the former head of the Cabañas factory in Havana, and his firm Rodríguez, Argüelles y Cia bought Romeo y Julieta in 1903. Romeo y Julieta 1875 cigars are now made in the Dominican Republic by Altadis.

Alec Bradley Vice Press 6T (7 x 60) The Alec Bradley Vice Press cigar combines BIG and BOLD with the elegance of a box pressed cigar. The medium bodied blend is made of a diverse combination, using tobacco from the finest growing regions of Central America (Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico). It is complex in flavor, aroma, and oily and rich in exotic fruits flavors. Vice Press is packed in humidor style boxes of 20 cigars with cedar trays, it is a great complement to the Alec Bradley impressive selection and a must try for any cigar lover.

Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Churchill (7 x 50), This cigar has a beautiful hand selected Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper and a Nicaraguan binder leaf. The filler is a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos. These ingredients work together to create a rich and aromatic smoke that will satisfy even the most demanding cigar connoisseur.

Alec Bradley Vice Press 6T4 (5 x 64) The Alec Bradley Vice Press cigar combines BIG and BOLD with the elegance of a box pressed cigar. The medium bodied blend is made of a diverse combination, using tobacco from the finest growing regions of Central America (Nicaragua, Honduras and Mexico). It is complex in flavor, aroma, and oily and rich in exotic fruits flavors. Vice Press is packed in humidor style boxes of 20 cigars with cedar trays, it is a great complement to the Alec Bradley impressive selection and a must try for any cigar lover.

RyJ Toro (6 x 52) The new RyJ by Romeo y Julieta supreme hand-made in Nicaragua cigar is a unique offering. Rich, robust, full oompf, and intensely spicy, the wrapper is a Nicaraguan Corojo from Limonera, Jalapa. Cultivated exclusively for this cigar and has never been used before. The binder is a double binder comprised of Nicaraguan Jalapa & Esteli. The double binder allows Romeo y Julieta to blend a very complex taste and flavor profile and adds structure to the RyJ by Romeo y Julieta. The fillers are a 2010 vintage tobacco group consisting of Nicaraguan Jalapa, Nicaraguan Esteli, and a Nicaraguan La Mia. These tobaccos not only burn exceptionally well, but are some of the most highly aromatic in the world due to them being grown in the diverse soil types and climates of Nicaragua.

Cigars were always (and still are) a part of the Oval Office. United States Presidents throughout our history have enjoyed a great cigar while they made executive decisions and run our great country. The Presidents’ Day Cigar Sampler is Mike’s Cigars way of commemorating all those great men with a cigar sampler. Starting with Aging Room Mezzo, the Alec Bradley Mundial, Rocky Patel Edge, a Gurkha Intruder and ending with a Cuba Aliados Torpedo. Long ashes to all.

Aging Room M356 Mezzo (6 x 54) The Aging Room cigars are made by Oliveros’ Rafael Nodal in small batches and sold only to select merchants. They are of 100% Dominican tobacco, handmade with leaves that were personally selected by Jose Blanco from the best of the crops. They are aged extra long periods until the ingredients been “married” perfectly before they are distributed to stores. Cigar Insider rated the Aging Room a respected “94”. The Aging Room cigar is creamy and smooth despite being a full body. It brings flavors of slightly roasted almonds with cedar and spice.

Alec Bradley Mundial PL6 (6 x 54) – Once you have a box of Alec Bradley Mundial cigars, you’ll notice the wonderful artwork on the label wrapped around the cigar. Its multi tonal and eye catching colors go well with the color of the cigar itself. The second label has the cigars name on it. The cigar shape is called “Punta Lanza” which translates to “point of the lance”. This is a nod to an old mentor of Alan Rubin, the owner of Alec Bradley cigars. The cigar once unwrapped has a chocolate colored hue with minimal veins and a bit of an oily skin. Smells of hay and even barnyard come through right away during the pre light and even some earthy tones.

Rocky Patel Edge Torpedo (6 x 52) This popular Toro from Rocky Patel includes a wrapper that is dark, with just a touch of red, and very oily. It’s both smooth looking and smooth to the touch with a sweet cocoa raisin flavor. A smoke to be enjoyed for hours.

Gurkha Intruder Toro (6 1/2 x 56) The Gurkha Intruder is a great powerhouse cigar made by hand by Gurkha with all Nicaraguan tobacco ingredients. The silky textured wrapper is a rare long leaf Corojo providing this smoke with peppery flavorful taste that combines with the smooth, creamy flavors that are created when the combustion hits the complex filler blend. All in all the Gurkha Intruder makes for a full and satisfying smoking experience for all cigar lovers.

Cuba Aliados Torpedo (6 x 60) Originally from Havana, Cuba Aliados are now handrolled in Danli, Honduras by highly skilled craftsmen, personally trained by Don Ronaldo to create the line’s demanding shapes. This medium to full bodied smoke features a well-balanced blend of Dominican long-fillers, Nicaraguan binder, and your choice of oily Nicaraguan Corojo natural or Maduro wrappers.

Calling all cigar aficionados! On April 25, 2014, the FDA released a 241 pages of regulations that can change your desire for premium cigars! Legislations has been filed for both the United States House of Representatives and the United State Senate that will excuse premium cigars from regulatory authority by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

It’s critical to take action right now and contact your Members of Congress and respectfully ask that they support premium cigars by co-sponsoring H.R. 662 and S. 441. To contact, click here.

Foundry is a cigar created by Michael Giannini of Team La Gloria Cubana/General Cigar is a cigar that is innovative, unique and creative. The Foundry Cigar blend features five different tobaccos from four different countries. Photography taken in Bay Harbor, FL. Get your cigar at http://goo.gl/2Ck0YU

Join us for an event of indulging in the finest cigar and delicious wine. Celebrating Oliva Serie V Melanio cigar, the top rated cigar of 2014 according to Cigar Aficionado Magazine. Enjoy our warm and cozy bar with a great selection of wine, beer, appetizers and cigars. We will have giveaways, raffles, domino and poker tournament for your enjoyment.To RSVP click here.

Nothing like a good smoke after a long day of work, and theres nothing we love more than a good stogie. Today we have a modest review of EP Carrillo’s La Historia. We opted for El Senador, the robusto size of the line. It turned out to be a surprisingly delicious cigar. The wrapper is a Mexican San Andreas, the binder is Ecuadorian Sumatra and the filler is Dominican and Nicaraguan.

Smelling this cigar was almost as good as smoking it. The chocolatey and peppery notes really translate through the smell, and if the smell alone wasn’t enough to entice you…

First Third – Right off the bat, the most dominant notes are cocoa and chocolate followed by hints of creamy, smooth smoke. Earthy and leathery notes make an appearance in the background and really round out the flavor palette. Even construction all around, great so far.

Second Third - Dark flavors coming in at this point – chocolate notes still going strong- with a hint of oak that really dances on your palette. There is a sweetness that comes in past the oak, reminiscent of wheat and honey… Delicate yet dominant, all at once.

Final - At this point the dark and sweet flavors are really melting together, mixing themselves up in one smooth and creamy finish. Construction wise, the burn became just a touch uneven, but with a quick re-light the problem was solved. Surprisingly the cigar did not become too hot to hold towards the end. Definitely enjoying the very last taste of mild dark chocolate and leathery notes.

Overall, great medium-full bodied cigar. A lot of cigars now are jumping on the San Andreas wrapper bandwagon and this is one of the more successful ones. Tasty all the way. Great after taste of cocoa and earthy notes. This stick got us about an hour and 15 minutes of delicious smoking time. We loved this as a night time smoke, after a good meal. Its a good stogie to unwind with. La Historia is definitely worthy of our humidor, and yours.

If you like cigars, chocolate and whiskey, you definitely don’t want to miss out on our upcoming event with Royal Gold Cigars. We will be showcasing cigars from their highly rated lines Casino Gold, Kismet, and Nirvana. Stop by and participate in a whiskey and chocolate pairing, compliments of Lombard Gold Label Whiskey and Lucky Lucy Chocolates. Enjoy raffles throughout the night and exclusive cigar specials, found only Mikes Cigars! Make sure you don’t miss out and RSVP!

Aging Room will display their excellent cigars including Quattro F55 cigar which was Cigar Aficionado Magazine’s No.1 Cigar of the year in the free world! We will have raffles and giveaways plus Texas Hold ‘Em tournament! Fun for all levels. And special appearance by flamenco style guitarist! You do NOT want to miss this event!

First day of Autumn is September 22. Get yourself a great leg up this year and buy your choice of the Gurkha Legend Autumnal cigar sampler. You can choose to get only 5 cigars, that is one of each of the five awesome cigars presented here. You can also choose two of each for a sampler of 10 cigars, 4 of each for a sampler of 20 cigars, or get yourself a FULL count sampler and receive this smart gadget torch lighter – the Hammer TT lighter. The Gurkha Legend Autumnal cigar sampler includes two different great Gurkha legends, the incredible La Gloria Cubana 758 Super Churchill, the new Partagas Extra Oscuro and the Baccarat torpedo at a whopping 65%!

You know what we love more than cigars? NEW cigars. So there was no way we were going to pass up a chance to light up a new Camacho Double Shock Limited Edition. It had us drooling on looks alone, you really cant deny that barber shop pole look. Check out our thoughts on this enticing new smoke.

At first glance, this cigar is stunning. The Ecuadorian habano and Mexican San Andres maduro wrappers make for an aesthetic that we found visually pleasing. Upon further inspection, we weren’t disappointed. There’s a nutty, earthy and slightly toasty smell. Its a well constructed cigar, no obvious veins, firm but not too tight. Cold draw was smooth and effortless.

First Half:

Right on the first draw you get a hit of that creamy, toasty flavor. Going into the first half, there’s lots of cloudy smoke and it feels peppery on the tongue. Its spicy and bold and there’s an even burn so far. Primary flavors are nutty and toasty, overall delicious on the palate.

Second Half:

Coming into the second half, the burn became a tad bit uneven, but it held together wonderfully and the smoke and flavor didn’t lose its power. The primary flavors are still coming through, that creaminess still making an appearance. Smoke is thick and abundant. By this point, we’re definitely enjoying this smoke. Its mild, but still very bold.

Third Half:

By this point, it mellows out a bit. Smooth yet tangy with an almost citrus kick. Quite surprising. This smoke is still going strong, and we are not disappointed with the punch of flavor it provides. Towards the end of our smoking session, the cigar became a bit warm and soft, but it did not impact the flavor profile.

Conclusion:

As usual, Camacho didn’t disappoint. We definitely recommend this cigar if you’re looking for a consistent, flavorful smoke. From the packaging down to the ash, this was an all around winner in our books.

Flor de Gonzalez has been consistently rated by Cigar Aficionado among some of the best cigars in the world. Now they will display their superb cigar, 90 miles, so we can get a taste of amazing aroma that Flor de Gonzalez cigars provide. We will be featuring artwork by international artist, Milton Bernal. Often referred to as “the painter of tobacco”, Bernal focuses on portraiture style in which uses tobacco leaves as his main medium.

Also, live performance by Gyorgy Lakatos! He’s a prolific guitarist in the style of the “Gypsy Kings”. He is proficient in MANY instruments but as a guitarist he has toured the world around and now resides in South Florida, where he shakes things up with his rhythmic styles. He plays every style of music, Latin, Spanish, European, American Disco, Dance, Funky, Popular Ballads and so much more.

The Double Shock is the latest limited edition cigar by the red-hot Camacho cigars. This is a very unique cigar, with signature Camacho packaging. As usual, they aim to separate themselves from the rest of the cigar-pack. Beyond the beautifully crafted black and red box, there is a scorpion with not one, but two tails. Once you open the box, you will instantly see these bold cigars paired together with a stylish black and red band embraced by the same scorpion in display. Not only aesthetically pleasing, this cigar boasts an amazing smoke. The cigar has an Ecuadorian habano and Mexican San Andres maduro wrapper that gives a distinct look very much like a barber shop pole. The flavors are further enhanced by five different origins of tobacco. The Double Shock has hand-selected criollo binder and filler leaves from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Pennsylvania. This extremely rare combination gives a fantastic aroma of spice, sweetness and rich, creamy flavors making this new blend a high impact and stimulating flavor experience. This is a medium-full bodied cigar are available at Mike’s Cigars. Sizes include Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), and Churchill (7 x 48), Figurado (6 1/8 x 54 x 42) and Gordo (6 x 60). Camacho cigars are produced in Danli, Honduras and distributed by Davidoff. The Double Shock Limited Edition is part of two annual limited edition series for the company. For pricing click here.

Camacho cigars are produced in Danli, Honduras and distributed by Davidoff. The Double Shock Limited Edition is part of two annual limited edition series for the company

Over at Mike’s Cigar Bar, our weekly poker nights (on thursdays!) are always guaranteed to be a good time. This time however, we upped the ante and hosted a special event with H. Upmann to showcase their newest line, The Banker. The stakes were high, and our giveaway prizes hot. Every poker round was as intense as the one before it! As an added plus, we raffled out humidors, caps, and all sorts of goodies.

The Banker cigar was a huge crowd pleaser, being described as having “earthy, peppery notes with an excellent draw”. Offered in sizes called Currency (48×5 1/2), Arbitrage (56×7) and Annuity (52×6) we just knew our poker night would be the richest moment to share this medium bodied cigar with our customers.

Also, we will have Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament. Have a Drink, cigar and play poker!Mike’s Cigar Bar is located in Miami Beach, 2 blocks from Bal Harbour Shops, Bay Harbor 33154 It’s a great bar to enjoy a drink with smooth leather furniture, classy lighting, flat screen HD TV’s, and meeting cigar enthusiast. Come by and appreciate the finest cigars selection you can imaging from Montecristo to Romeo.

Montecristo has been one of the leaders in premium cigar brands globally and they continue to push the envelope with exquisite cigars by releasing the Espada by Montecristo. This marks the very first time that Montecristo releases a cigar that has 100% Nicaraguan leaf which is a significant moment for the legendary Montecristo brand. The leaf is elegantly aged vintage and refined by the proud and historic Plasencia family who are world-renowned for releasing premium handmades for major cigar brands such as Rocky Patel, Gurkha, and Alec Bradley to name a few. The collaboration between Plasencia family and Altadis blending team is known as the Grupo de Maestros who have joined forces to combine the knowledge of centuries and expertise of growing superior tobaccos. The Montecristo Espada is a spicy cigar with rich, complex and deeply satisfying smoke that is truly inspired by tradition, knowledge, and power inspired by the craftsmanship of the old sword makers. The Montecristo Espada is beautifully packaged in a marvelous hazel suede-covered box of ten that will have cigar aficionados yearning to take the first puff. The wrapper is Habano Jalapa Vintage 2010, binder is Habano Jalapa Vintage 2009, the filler is Habano Jalapa Seco Vintage 2008, Habano Ometepe Viso Vintage 2008, and Habano Condega Ligero Vintage 2008. Mike’s Cigars will offer all three sizes which are Ricasso 54 x 5, Guard 50 x 6, Quillion 56 x 7.

It’s time for a cigar review and I’m excited to be reviewing La Flor Dominicana Ligero Cabinet Oscuro. Athough it’s not new, I’ve been contemplating smoking this cigar for a while now. I’ve been keeping my eye on this cigar and it’s about that time to sit back, get a drink, and let the aroma serenade around me. This cigar is a L- 500 Cabinet coming in at 60 x 5 3/4. They also have other size such as 400 Cabinet, 300 Cabinet, 250 Cabinet, 200 Cabinet, and Torpedito. Now, let’s light this baby up and see what it’s made of!

After lighting this bad boy up, which is Oscuro, not Maduro, I notice it has a great structure to it. Beautiful, shiny, rich Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, and nice Dominican binder and fillers from their own farm in La Canela, Dominican Republic. It has a very oily wrapper with excellent texture to it and the veins have a slight embossed to it. You can immediately sense that it’s a full body cigar yet it’s rich and so far, enjoyable in its first few puffs. Looking at this 500 Cabinet, you would think it would feel heavy because it’s dense but it feels cozy holding it. Once I fired it up, there is a rich aroma of leather with slight hints of pepper that is gratifying. So far, I’ve been smoking the cigar for 15 minutes.

Now, I’ve been smoking the La Flor Dominicana Oscuro for a little over 45 minutes and I’m still enjoying the rich body taste which I’ve steadily tasted an increase elements of leather and earthy flavors. A nice progression of creamy scent has slowly developed like a drummer slowly crescendoing his cymbals to compliment the guitar and bass during the bridge section of a song. The construction of the cigar has been superb with a steady smoke of what I would call, intensively rich and it has mellowed a little bit. I would suggest to eat a nice size meal before smoking a Ligero Cabinet Oscuro.

After an hour and fifteen minutes of smoking The Oscuro, it has come to an end my friend. Overall, the La Flor Dominicana Cabinet Oscuro is an outstanding cigar that is just a step under a full-bodied cigar with great consistency of rich, earthy, and spicy smoke. Each puff generated a bundle of smoke that I enjoyed. The burn was very consistent except for 1 time I had to rotate the cigar, otherwise I had no serious issue with it. I would recommend this cigar for anyone to experience after enjoying a nice lunch or dinner. Now kick back and enjoy an impressive rich cigar with a favorable price point.